Live Presentation
Speak with Sheikh Rokiya Hasan about her practicum on January 31st from 4:00-4:30pm via this zoom link.
Video Presentation
View Sheikh Rokiya Hasan's poster presentation in this video recording:
Abstract
My practicum was in International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b) and was part of the project titled “Using community health workers and in-home LED phototherapy to dramatically reduce brain damage from neonatal jaundice in low to middle income countries- a feasibility trial” under the supervision of Dr. Farjana Jahan. Nearly 80 percent of the 481,000 extreme hyperbilirubinemia cases are in low to middle-income countries (LMICs) because infants are identified too late or health facility treatment is inaccessible or inadequate. The project implemented a novel intervention combining community health workers (CHWs) led treatment intervention and home-based phototherapy to reduce severe hyperbilirubinemia-induced morbidity and mortality of newborns in the early and late neonatal period. The study was conducted in Sakhipur Upazila of Tangail district, approximately 87 kilometers from icddr,b, Dhaka. The subject population was pregnant women during their second and third trimesters and their newborns. The results show that the group receiving phototherapy had fewer danger signs and fewer referrals compared to the non-phototherapy group. This result would indicate the success of treatment in reducing severe cases of neonatal jaundice. My internship provided me with opportunities to apply my knowledge on real world data to address public health issues.